
Class ^ PS_5-:S37_ 

Book Assls. 

CopyrightN" 



COpyRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



IN A POPPY GARDEN 

Charles Francis Saunders 

With Illustrations by 
Elisabeth M. Hallowell Saunders 




Boston: Richard G. Badger 

T^he Gorham Press 



1904 



COPYRIGHT 1903 BY CHARLES FRANCIS SAUNDERS 
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 



1UBRARY of CONGRESS 
Two Copies Received 
APR 19 1904 
Copyright Entry 

CLASS ^ XXo. No. 

COPY B 



7^3537 



?a4- 



• • * « 



PRINTED AT THE GORHAM PRESS 
BOSTON, U. S. A. 



TO HER 

WHOSE COMPANIONSHIP IS 

AN UNFAILING INCENTIVE TO 

NOBLEST LIVING 

MY WIFE ' 



• * . •» ' •» 

1 > »a > 1 



CONTENTS 



Page 

In a Poppy Garden .... 7 

[From The Churchman^ J^^y 1^5 1902] 

The Old Home ..... 9 

[From Harper s Magazine ^ July, 1902] 
Winter Buds ..... 13 

[From The New England Magazine^ Feb. 1901] 
Storm-Beaten . . . . -15 

[From The New England Magazine ^ Mar. 1902] 
Sancta Humilitas . . . . 17 

[From McClure's Magazine^ J^^ly 1902] 
January . . . . . . -19 

[From Harper s Bazar ^ January 5, 1901] 
Red Maples ..... 21 

[From Lippincotf s Magazine^ March, 1903] 
April ....... 23 

[From Lippincoti* s Magazine^ April, 1903] 
Trailing Arbutus .... 25 

[From The Delineator^ May, 1901] 

The Road to The Sea . . . -27 

[From The Ladies' Worlds J^ly> 1901] 



At Valley Forge .... 29 
[From The New England Magazine^ July> 1901] 
The Garden . . . . . -31 
Heimweh ,...., 1^2 

The Haunted House . . . -35 

[From The New England Magazine^ Aug. 1 900] 
When Love Grows Old • • • 37 
Evensong . . . . . -39 

[From The New England Magazine ^ Feb. 1900] 
As Little Children .... 41 

[From The Churchman^ June 2, 1900] 
The Fairy's Night Song . . -43 

[From The Churchman^ May 5, 1900] 



IM A POPPY GARbEN 



T TPON a summer's day, when the noon-tide air 

Was dreamy with the languor of the heat, 
The poppies of my garden stirred to speech. 
"Master," they seemed to say, "we bring thee gift 
Of sleep, and, in sleep's hand, forgetfulness 
Of the world's smallnesses and petty prides. 
That, waking, thou may est have a freer heart 
For life's nobilities." .... 
Then I awoke. Pray God, the dream come true. 



zEjTUh: ::r 




THE OLI> HOME 



npO one forespent with stress of trade 
And schemes of gain in city marts. 
There comes a breath of country hay 
Wafted from passing carts. 

Fades the long line of brick and stone, 
The street's rude tumult dies away, 

From money-getting for a space 
His soul cries holiday. 

By that enchantment rapt from town. 
He runs, his hand in Memory's, 

Up the dear lane to the old home 
Beside the tranquil trees. 

The garden's myriad cups of bloom 

His withered heart with fragrance flood ; 

Barn pigeons, cooing, lull to rest 
The unrest of his blood. 




A harp, untouched these many years. 
His soul once more to music wakes, 

Swept by the wind that bends the grass 
And stirs the meadow brakes. 

And with him down the orchard path. 
Past spring-house and the pasture wall. 

Her spirit walks who taught her child 
Of the Love that is o'er all. 



The vision vanishes, and straight 

The street's rude tumult in his ears ; 

But in his heart a heavenly strain. 
And in his eyes sweet tears. 



II 



F^^ 




fW 




1 


\xV. 




WINTER BVL3 


'^^^ 



/^N silent field and woodland lies the snow. 

The shroud of Flora dead ? Thou blind, not so; 
For, lo, set thick on leafless shrub and tree. 
Buds of spring's bourgeoning that's soon to be ! 

So friendship's silences— replete with hidden power, 
Anon to issue in fair deeds, as buds in flower. 



13 




^TORM - BEATEN 



CCARRED of bole and twisted of limb. 
By the beach stands an ancient tree, 
Bowed by a thousand storms that have swept 
Up from the angry sea. 

Blasts of the north have rent its crown 

But its vigor is unsubdued ; 
And it lives not in vain — there is joy in its midst. 

It is home to the wild bird's brood. 

In the world's workshop toils a man, 
Misshapen through ceaseless strife ; 

Graceless of form, but his soul is aglow — 
He is guard of a woman's life. 



15 




jZ'EEP, Lord, Thy child in poverty 

If wealth must dim his eyes 
To the beauties of Thy pictured earth, 
To the glory of Thy skies. 

And in Thy mercy send defeat 

If victory's fruit must be 
Indifference to his neighbor's need — 

If victory cost him Thee ! 



17 



/^N snowbound hinges January's portals 
^^^ Swing open, and I fain would straightway 

see 
On the new year's untrodden way some token 
Of what it bears to me. 

But to my straining sight no sign is offered 
Of what will be — only gray skies and low, 

And boughs that mourn and weary birds ahun- 
gered ; 
Father, may I not know ? 

Then, answering, into my soul's still chambers 
Steal the sweet memories of the Christmas-tide; 

Shall I not trust His providence whose mercies 
Over His works abide ? 



19 







A GAINST the swarthy background of bare 

woods 
Glow the red maples' flaming flowers in March, 
Like torches by the hand of Flora lifted 
To light her in the dusk of the young year's dawn 
Until the splendor of her risen day. 



21 




A WIND that blows from out the south, 
^^ A sparrow's song, a fleeting shower, 
And where but now a snowbank gleamed 
The sun lying warm in the heart of a flower. 



23 




TRAILING ARBUTUS 

TN Winter's footprints as he goes 

The russet leaved Mayflower blows ; 
As, through the clearing clouds of night, 
Stars after storm renew their light ; 
Or as at doors where grief has been 
Hope knocks once more and enters in. 



25 




THC ROAb TO THE SEA 

OAST brier and rose, past heath and rill, 

Through weary sand, amid bowlders gray, 
The old road winds its toilsome way 
Out under the shade of the firs on the hill 
To the strand of the sunlit sea. 
Where the white sails gleam, and all the day 
The waves make melody. 

So may thy progress be, O soul. 

That toilest through heavy sands, oppressed ; 
Still onward strive, till thy tired feet rest 
On the beach where the heavenly breakers roll 
Ever in from the bosom of God : 
Earth's shadows behind thee, upon His breast 
There is balm for the rough ways trod. 



27 



i 



I 




AT VALLEY FORGE. 



npHE song of birds floats on the air, 
And bees are drowsily a-wing ; 

The orchards, white with blossoms, fling 
Cool shadows on the grassy ground 

Warm with the pulses of the spring ; 
And little children play around 

The rusted cannon of the king. 

By that grim mouth which once belched deaths 
But now has known of war surcease 

These hundred years, the violets nod ; 

And dandelions light the sod 

Once dark with blood of men. Dear God, 
We thank thee for the day of peace. 



29 




A HOMELY plot beside a barn — 
^^ Fall gently, rain, where this garden grows,. 
And touch with tempered beam, O sun, 
These furrows and these hallowed rows. 

For here my fathers delved and sought 

A frugal living from the sod. 
Here reverent walked at close of day 

And listened for the voice of God ; 

Reaping a double harvest here — 
The body's meat, the spirit's peace. 

Knowledge that God is Lord of life 
To send or hold the earth's increase. 



31 



HEIMWEM 



"DEHIND the hills the sun has set, 

The dusk and dew are falling ; 
Far down the field the milker's voice 
Floats faint, his late herd calling. 

Before my weary feet the road 

Into the night is tending; 
A hush is on my lonely soul — 

O night, that thou wert ending ! 

What is it like a benison 

Into my heart comes stealing? 

Beside the cots of Christendom 
The children now are kneeling. 



33 







_.. ::i>^^ 

THE HAUMTEt> 
HOU5E 



npHE pleasantest place on earth to me 

Is a haunted house that I know ; 
The windows are open toward the sun ; 

By the door the violets blow ; 
All summer the breezes bring odor of mint. 

And the robins come and go. 

For this is the home of the friend that I love 
And the spirits that haunt the spot 

Are spirits of sympathy and cheer, 
And the trust that wavers not. 



35 




AT7HEN Love grows old, may Love's 

strength stay 
As was the strength of Love's young day, 
But mightier ; as wine grown old 
Is better grown, or coin of gold 
Shines brighter as wears dim the stamp 
By veteran use. So may Love's lamp 
Glow ever with a purer light 
Till Heaven's dawn illume Earth's night. 



37 




EYELM^ONGt • 



'IP HE daylight fails : across the river's reach 

Faintly the village bells sound on the breeze; 
The rippling waves come singing to the beach 
And stir the reeds to soft antiphonies. 

Joy lingers^ though the darkling night be near, 
Though airs grow chill and birds be in their 
nests ; 

Lulled by the cricket's quiet note of cheer 

And frogs' shrill chorusing, the tired world rests. 



39 




A5 LITTLE CHlLt^REN 

IV/TAKE ours, dear Lord, the children's joy 

In earth's simplicities — 
The beauty of the fields' wild bloom, 

The shadows, sun and breeze ; 
Attune our ears to song of birds, 

To the brooklet's melodies. 

As children crowned with Thy own flowers. 
Our hearts with Thy grace bind. 

So in this world of Thine may we 
Walk not as deaf or blind. 

But joyous in the common gifts 
Vouchsafed to all mankind. 



41 




THE FAIRY'5 might SONGr 



T 'M not so lazy as I look. 

Sitting in this woodland nook ; 
For, from rising of the sun 
Till the restless day was done, 
There was work cut out for me. 
Kept me busy as a bee — 
Wiping dewdrops from the grass. 
So that folk dryshod might pass ; 
Cracking seeds and guiding shoots. 
Bearing warmth to ripening fruits. 
Opening buds and tinting flowers. 
Sprinkling thirsty land with showers ; 
Teaching baby butterflies 
How to mount up toward the skies. 
And the brooklet how to sing — 
These and many another thing 
I've been doing. That is why. 
When the dark comes in the sky 

43 



And the sun has gone to bed, 
And the round moon lifts her head 
Coyly on the old earth smiling, 
Lovers to their trysts beguiling — 
While some fairies are for dancing. 
Cutting capers or romancing, 
I like best to take my ease 
Underneath the whispering trees. 
Smoke my pipe and sniff the breeze* 



45 



f APR 19 1904 



